I invite you to turn with me tonight to 2 Timothy chapter 1, 2 Timothy chapter 1, we will read together the first 14 verses, noticing in particular verses 9 and 10, 1 Timothy chapter 1. Beginning at verse 1. Hear now God's holy word. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, to Timothy, my dear son, grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father in Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God whom I serve as my forefathers did with a clear conscience as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayer. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded it now lives in you also. For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord or ashamed of me, His prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the Gospel by the power of God who has saved us and called us to a holy life not because of anything we have done, but because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus. who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel. And of this Gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed. Because I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day. What you heard from me keep as the pattern of sound teaching with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you. Guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. There ends the reading of God's holy Word. May He bless it to us tonight. I invite you to turn in the back of the Psalter hymnal to page 93. Page 93. Article 7 of the first head of doctrine in the Canons of Dort. Before we look at that, just a few comments. Beloved, we said a couple of weeks ago in our introduction to this series that the Canons of Dort broadly deals with two great themes of the Gospel, which are first of all the singular honor and glory of God in the salvation of His people, the sovereign grace of God in salvation. And the theme then that flows from that is the believer's assurance, the believer's eternal security in the invincible grace of God. Now, boys and girls, when we talk about the canons of Dort, canons here, we're not talking about big guns. A canon is a writing, a writing of authority. We call the Bible the canon of Scripture. The Canons of Dort is a book, we might say, with five chapters, although it seems like four chapters because number three and four are put together. But these five chapters, these five points of the Canons of Dort are dealing, we know, with what we call the doctrines of grace, the grace of God in salvation, talking specifically about the most basic, the most fundamental understanding of our salvation. The Canons of Dort is very focused, we know. It deals with those five arguments of the remonstrance, as we said before. And therefore, it is not as full, it is not as complete as the Belgic Confession and the Heidelberg Catechism in the sense that it does not deal with, for example, what we call the doctrine, the teaching of God, the teaching of man, the teaching of Christ, the teaching of church, the teaching of the end times. it deals specifically with what we call the teaching or the doctrine of soteriology of salvation. In other words, of what God has done for us in Christ Jesus. It's about Jesus saving us from our sins. And these doctrines of grace, of course, we know live throughout Scripture. Yet they are spelled out in a systematic way, taking what the Bible teaches about these things and putting them in a systematic way in confessions such as the Canons of Dort. And again, the Canons of Dort gives five answers to that great meeting of the Synod of Dort, a meeting that took some six months between ministers, elders, and theological professors and their answers then to the five statements of the Arminians. Five statements of the Arminians that attacked the doctrine of election. That attacked the doctrine of God's sovereignty in salvation, of His choice, His control of who would be saved, how they would be saved, and how they would receive that salvation. Of course, we know them, as we said before, by the acronym of TULIP, total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, perseverance of the saints. But that's not how the Synod dealt with them or responded to them. They dealt with them more in the order of ULTIP, U-L-T-I-P, and therefore the first answer is regarding unconditional election. Election is included in predestination. Predestination, that part of God's plan which concerns the eternal destiny of human beings who had fallen. God has predetermined that destiny. Some are elect. Others are passed over and therefore are reprobate. Now, Article 7 in this first head of doctrine really is the central article. The articles before Article 7 deal with sin. And it starts with sin, interestingly, with man falling into sin, and then moves on to talking about God providing salvation, and then some believing. And then articles 6 and 7, and especially 7, explains why those some believe. And then following articles 7, many of them give a further explanation of the truths contained in number 7. And our hope is to consider these not in the order of the articles, but more by way of themes found with regard, for example, to unconditional election. Beginning, we might say, with the more positive side of election, considering election proper. Please follow along as I read Article 7. And we're also going to consider somewhat Articles 8, 9, and 10, but we'll read together just Article 7. Election is the unchangeable purpose of God, whereby before the foundation of the world He has, out of mere grace, according to the sovereign good pleasure of His own will, chosen from the whole human race which had fallen through their own fault from their primitive state of rectitude into sin and destruction, a certain number of persons to redemption in Christ, whom He from eternity appointed the mediator and head of the elect and the foundation of salvation. This elect number, though by nature neither better nor more deserving than others, but with them involved in one common misery, God has decreed to give to Christ to be saved by Him, and effectually to call and draw them to His communion by His Word and Spirit, to bestow upon them true faith, justification, and sanctification, and having powerfully preserved them in the fellowship of His Son, finally to glorify them for the demonstration of His mercy and for the praise of the riches of His glorious grace, as it is written, even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before Him in love, having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved, from Ephesians chapter 1, And elsewhere, whom he foreordained, them he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified. From Romans chapter 8. Well, beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ, this letter to Timothy was Paul's last letter that he ever wrote. He was in prison, he was on death row, he knew it, and so did Timothy. And it's a letter, I trust you gain that from what we read. It is a letter from Paul to Timothy, a letter of encouragement. Encouragement that Timothy needed as he was facing opposition, it is believed, in Ephesus because of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We know that Ephesus was a very, very pagan city, an idolatrous city. And Timothy was undergoing hardship for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And therefore, Paul, who was no stranger to hardship, of course, he encourages Timothy. He encourages Timothy with an encouragement not to become weary and not to lose heart, but instead to fan into flame the gifts of ministering. To build up again, we might say, the desire to minister the Word of God, that gift that he had received from the Holy Spirit, to teach the sound truth of the doctrine of Jesus Christ. To guard the good deposit, that Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is that very Gospel, Paul makes clear, that is why Paul was suffering. That Gospel is why Paul would die. Yet, Paul was not ashamed of that Gospel. Because the Gospel of Jesus Christ was Paul's only hope and confidence because it included his election for salvation. In his encouragement to Timothy, Paul brings Timothy all the way back to before time. Before time began. To remind Timothy, to show him what God had done for Timothy already from before the foundation of the world. Timothy was not to be timid. He was not to be afraid because God's power was on his side from the very beginning. God had planned and God had accomplished Timothy's salvation. Timothy always was in God's sight and plan to save and never to let him go. And therefore, in the midst, especially in the midst of hardship, Timothy was to be encouraged. Now indeed, Paul is talking about election here. In verses 9 and 10, we read again, Who that is God has saved us and called us to a holy life, not because of anything we have done, but because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel. Now, Article 7 again begins, Election is the unchangeable purpose of God. And in verse 9, Paul speaks of God's own purpose and grace. Paul doesn't use the word election here. But the word purpose, you see, is one of the number of words that is used in Scripture for God's counsel, God's plan in general, and also one of the words that is used of God's counsel of election in particular. It's used in connection in other places where election is spoken of. For example, in that classic chapter, Ephesians chapter 1, which is quoted in article chapter 7. And the word purpose here means to set something before. And it points to God setting forth of things before His mind. Predetermining. Choosing. When it comes to election for salvation, First of all, this is the content of election. It is a choice. It seems simple, but very simply, it is a choice that is made. In general, we make all kinds of choices in daily life from the time that we get up in the morning to the time that we go to bed at night. Even the choice of those times is a choice that we make. And throughout the day, we make all kinds of choices. Even when it comes to people, we make choices of those whom we will be friends with, those whom we will hang out with. We elect people in a different way. We elect, we choose a president for the United States of America. We choose political leaders in the context of the church. We choose, we elect elders and deacons. And when it comes to salvation, election has to do with choosing who will be saved. Simple as that. It is a choice that belongs to God. Again, in verse 9, Paul speaks of God's purpose. God's plan. God setting before His mind. His determination. And Paul says that includes His determination to save us and call us to a holy life. In His power, God saved Paul and Timothy and that salvation that you and I enjoy means being delivered from the greatest of all evils and being put in possession of the greatest of all blessings. And the choice of who is saved belongs to God, not man. Notice again, Article 7, the first part, Election is the unchangeable purpose of God, whereby before the foundation of the world, He has out of mere grace, that means absolutely nothing other than God's grace, according to His sovereign good pleasure of His own will, chosen from the whole human race, which had fallen through their own fault from their primitive state of rectitude into sin and destruction a certain number of persons to redemption in Christ. Man chose to fall. But God chose to save. And to save a certain number of persons specifically by name. It was not a faceless, nameless mob of individuals whom God chose at random as if he didn't know who was included in that. Paul says, us. He's very specific. You and me, Timothy, we're included in that. God knew us. God is not ever surprised by whom He chose. He is not ever disappointed, nor does He ever think He made a mistake with regard to whom He chose. And what is even more amazing is when our election took place, This choice took place before time. But because of His own purpose and grace, this grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time. And that might also cause you to think of that classic passage on election from Ephesians 1 where Paul says, Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. God chose who would be saved before you were born, before I was born, even before the world was born. If anyone were to ask you when you were saved, most likely they would have in their mind, when did you make a decision for Christ? Or when did you begin to understand these things? But you could say in truth that I was saved before the world, before time began. I was saved in God's plan. God had an eternal plan. He had an eternal purpose and I have always been a part of it. He planned to save me and bring me into a relationship with Himself even before He created the heavens and the earth, even before He said, let there be light. I'm no afterthought to God. Isn't that comforting? I'm no afterthought. You're no afterthought to God. And His choice is realized, made real in time. God's sovereign choice is worked out in our lives, in the lives of the elect, in time, in history, through His Word and Spirit. God brings to faith one by one those upon whom He had set His love before the beginning of time. That they might embrace by faith, by God's power, the truth of the Gospel. Beloved, before we were born, before the world was born, God chose those who would be His people. And in His time, He brings them to faith that they might embrace the glorious truths of Jesus Christ, the gift of salvation. Now, if it was before we were born or existed, if it was before the world was born or existed, obviously, we did not make the first move with election. We did not choose to be chosen. It was not our idea. When it comes to election for salvation, its initiator is God Himself. Not only is He the one who makes the choice, But He is the initiator, the source of election. It is authored by God the Father. Not only is the choice of who is saved His, but He determined that there would be a choice. Otherwise, there would be no hope for you or me. Praise God, He determined that there would be a choice. It may be a mystery to us, but He knew that the whole human race, including you and me, He knew that the whole human race would fall, as the article says, through their own fault from their primitive state of rectitude into sin and destruction. In other words, from their original perfect sinless state. He knew that every single person would be conceived and born in sin and would be under His divine wrath and would be headed directly for hell. He knew that. And he determined to save some. And the question, therefore, is not to be, as so many would ask, well, why didn't he choose to save all? But the question is, and we hope to consider this more later on, is why did he even bother to choose any? He determined to save some. To choose a specific, certain number to rescue and to save. And dear people of God, when we understand the truth and the nature of sin, of our sin, then this is beyond belief that God would even bother to choose to save some. to rescue and save some and accomplish it by God the Son. The article says, to redemption in Christ. And it goes on, this elect number, though by nature neither better nor more deserving than others, but with them involved in one common misery, God has decreed to give to Christ to be saved by Him. That's pointing to what we call the covenant of redemption, the eternal covenant between God the Father and God the Son. From eternity, God prepared everything for us. Every single detail of this life and especially of our eternal salvation. And when it comes to that eternal covenant of redemption between God the Father and God the Son, God the Father gave His Son a certain number whom the Son willingly accepted to save by dying for them, by shedding His blood on their behalf. He alone is the foundation of our salvation. He alone is the means by which God brings the elect to salvation. How important for us to be reminded of this as we consider in a moment what the Arminians really teach. Paul says this grace, this unmerited favor, this free gift was given us in Christ. It depends on Christ before the beginning of time. And he goes on in verse 10, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel. With the appearing of Christ, with His death and resurrection and ascension, all of this in a sense became clear. Beloved, we cannot understand election apart from faith in Christ. It makes no sense apart from faith in Christ. That Christ, by His blood, saves from death. He brought to immortality and life. He washes and cleanses those given to Him. Our election for salvation is only, and it is completely, a divine work authored by God the Father, accomplished by God the Son, and applied by God the Holy Spirit, who by His power gives us new life, working through the Word of the Gospel. God has chosen that there would be salvation. God has chosen who would be saved. God has chosen how it would be accomplished. And God has chosen how it would be applied. He has done it all. As the article continues, "...and effectually to call and draw them to His communion by His Word and Spirit, to bestow upon them true faith, justification, and sanctification, and having powerfully preserved them in the fellowship of His Son, finally to glorify them for the demonstration of His mercy and for the praise of the riches of His glorious grace. Paul says He has called us to a holy life, a life of holiness, talking about the effectual call of the Holy Spirit alone, giving that new life, giving the gift of faith, bringing us to believe. And notice, as the article makes clear, this election includes full salvation from beginning to end. In all of its fullness, in all of its perfection, God will complete that which He has begun. He does not just do a half a work. This is all the free, the sovereign choice of God. He chose a particular people to give to Christ His Son to sanctify them by the power of the Holy Spirit. And this is, in the third place, It's condition, the condition of election. You might say, well, wait a minute. We thought it was unconditional election. It is unconditional when it comes to you and me. The problem with Arminianism, beloved, is not that God elected. They agree with that. The problem with Arminianism is not even that salvation must be and can only be in Jesus Christ. They agree with that too. But the problem with Arminianism is why God elected. The reason God elected. On what condition would God do this? Arminianism agrees that God is the author of salvation. It agrees that He is sovereign. It agrees that He is all-knowing. That's what they would say. And therefore, what He does, Arminianism teaches, is that since he knows all things, he looks down through that telescope of history, he looks down through that whole way of time and sees everything that will take place, and therefore he knows who will believe in Jesus Christ by their own free will. Those who will hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ and they will therefore of their own make a decision to follow Jesus. And therefore, because He sees who will do that they teach, He makes then a sovereign choice to save those who believe. The problem of Arminian election is that it is an election based on foreseeing faith that God sees beforehand who will believe in Him by their own will. But there's even more to it than that. It also includes the problem that Arminianism has three decrees of election. Now, if you're familiar with the Canons of Dorit, you know that after each of the chapters, we find a section called the Rejection of Errors, which you have to read carefully. You have to really read carefully to make sure, to understand what is being rejected. Sometimes it sounds kind of good and right. And the second error, following this first chapter, the second error points out what Article 8 says, there are not various decrees of election, but one and the same decree respecting all those who shall be saved. That second error says that we reject those who teach many ways of election, in a sense. The first decree is this. It's a general statement that the sinner can be saved only by faith. The second decree goes a little bit further then, which is understandable, that a certain number are elected because God knew that they would believe. Yet, because Arminianism teaches that mere faith in Jesus Christ does not guarantee salvation, There's a third decree which says that only those who persevere in the faith, those who persevere, they will in the end be saved. Beloved, the sovereignty of God and of God's election is undermined. Because Arminianism teaches that everything depends on man. Man decides for Christ. Man embraces the Gospel. Man has to persevere. The Gospel, we might say, according to the Arminians, is that God elects to final salvation only those who persevere. And in the end, beloved, this undermines God's ability to carry out His plan. In essence, if you think about it, election cannot work without man's cooperation they are teaching. Man must have faith. Man must hang on to it. Man must keep that faith in his own strength. So if you think about it, the only thing that God really does is He has a good idea. He has a good idea to elect and to save. But He can't carry it out apart from the work of man. And that goes against everything that we have said so far, doesn't it? And it also undermines our security and our assurance. But as we go along, the Lord willing, we will see why it cannot be this way. John Calvin says that if election is because of works, namely foreseeing faith, the work of faith, what kind of works would those have been if God had passed us by seeing that the election itself, listen, the election itself is the source and the beginning of all good works. Election is the source in the beginning. Paul makes that clear in Ephesians 1 and 2, especially in chapter 2. We have been chosen to do good works which God prepared beforehand for us to walk in them. And this is the truth of Scripture summarized in article 9. This election was not founded upon foreseeing faith and the obedience of faith, holiness, or any other good quality or disposition in man as the prerequisite cause or condition on which it depended, but men are chosen to faith and to the obedience of faith, holiness, etc. Therefore, election is the fountain of every saving good from which proceed faith, holiness, and the other gifts of salvation. And finally, eternal life itself as its fruits and effects according to the testimony of the Apostle. And notice also what Paul says in Acts chapter 13, beginning at verse 46. Then Paul and Barnabas, I'm sorry, what Luke says. Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly. We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us. I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth. And then notice particularly these words. When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the Word of the Lord, and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. Again, supporting the fact that God chose specific people. He knew who would believe. And notice, what is it that came first? Did they believe before they were appointed? They were appointed to believe. They believed because they were appointed. And again, hearing Paul's words in Ephesians 1, For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ in accordance with His pleasure and will. To the praise of His glorious grace which He has freely given us and the one He loves. He has chosen us not because we were holy and blameless in His sight, not because we would choose to be or would make ourselves that way, but He chose us to be in order for Him to make us holy and blameless. In Christ, He predestined us. He determined this of us in His grace. Again, as Paul says, God who has saved us and called us to a holy life, not because of anything that we have done, but because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time. Beloved, election is not based on foreseen faith. It's not based on what we have done, will do, or even think about doing. Believing depends on election. Faith and believing flows forth from the fountain of election, God's election. The condition of election is simply based on God, on His mercy, on His sovereign choice, not because He saw what we have done or what we would do. He simply chose to save some for His glory. That's amazing. That's why you and I believe in Him. As Article 10 supports when it says, the good pleasure of God is the sole cause of this gracious election which does not consist herein that out of all possible qualities and actions of men, God has chosen some as a condition of salvation. In other words, God did not choose some of your actions or conditions as a condition to be saved, but that He was pleased out of the common mass of sinners to adopt some certain persons as a particular people to Himself. God was pleased to adopt some. Out of the mass of humanity, dead sinners, He was pleased to take some, to take you, to take me, into His family to be His children. You see, the glorious truth of election for salvation, beloved, gives God all the glory. There is no boasting. There is no pride. There is no glory for you and me because we had nothing to do with it except the desperate need to be saved. This beautiful doctrine of Scripture highlights the glory and the love and the mercy of God and we are called to respond, equipped to respond with gratitude of a holy calling and life. God has called us to that, equipped us to that. Living in thankful obedience with the assurance of salvation because His purpose, His plan is eternal and unchangeable. And therefore, beloved, may our lives, may our lives that are visible to the world to see, may our lives highlight God's glory and grace, may our lives highlight God's sovereign election of us for salvation. It's no wonder Paul was not ashamed of the Gospel and Timothy was not to be ashamed either. He was safe in the palm of God's hand. He was in God's thought already before the beginning of time. No need to be ashamed because nothing, not even death, could separate Paul from God or His eternal purpose for Paul. Beloved, if you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ by the grace of God, Look at yourself. Look at yourself. And say, wow. Look at what God has done. Look at what God has done for me. Look at what God has done with me. We have hope. And we live in hope. Because God in Jesus Christ had us in His mind to save us before the beginning of time. You are not elect because you believe, but you believe because you are elect in Christ Jesus who has fulfilled perfectly and completely all of God's requirements that we might be saved both now and forever. Amen. Let's pray together. Dear Heavenly Father, there is so much of Your plan, of Your way, which is still a mystery to us. Even when it comes to that which we know, that which You have revealed, yet we must ask the question, why? Why would You set Your love upon us? Why would You choose to save us? Why, O Lord? And Father, at times too, because these things are a mystery to us, they might not mean as much to us as they ought to. Oh Father, help us to delight in Your sovereign work and Your sovereign choice. And continue to open our eyes more and more to the truth and beauty of all that this means for us and about us. And Father, we pray too that even through this instruction and You would continue to equip us, nourish us, strengthen us in that most holy faith as Your children, as members of Your church. Hear our prayer, O Lord, for Jesus' sake. And in His name we pray. Amen.